Numbers 5:6

6 "Speak to the {Israelites}: 'When a man or woman {commits} any of the sins of humankind by acting unfaithfully, [it is] a sin against Yahweh, and that person will be guilty;

Numbers 5:6 Meaning and Commentary

Numbers 5:6

Speak unto the children of Israel
Put them in mind of the following law, that they observe it; and which is here repeated, because of two new things in it, as Jarchi observes, the one relates to confession, teaching that there is no fifth part nor trespass offering by witnesses, till a man confesses the thing; and the other is, concerning taking anything away by violence from a proselyte, which is to be given to the priests; see the original law in ( Leviticus 6:1-7 ) ;

when a man or woman shall commit any sin that men commit;
or, "any of the sins of men" F5, which are commonly done by men, and men are subject to through the infirmity of the flesh, and the temptations of Satan; or "any sin against man" F6, so some, as this referred to is expressly said to be, ( Numbers 5:7 ) ;

to do a trespass against the Lord;
for every sin against man is also against the Lord, being a breach of his command; as David's sin against Uriah was a sin against the Lord, ( Psalms 51:4 ) ; though the Jews understand it particularly of lying and swearing falsely, appealing to God, and calling him to be a witness to a falsehood; and so the Targum of Onkelos seems to interpret it:

and the person be guilty;
and knows he is so, and even knew it when he took an oath to the contrary; see ( Leviticus 6:3 Leviticus 6:4 ) .


FOOTNOTES:

F5 (Mdah tajx lkm) "ex omnibus peccatis hominis", Montanus.
F6 "Ex omnibus peccatis contra hominem", Tigurine version; so Patrick.

Numbers 5:6 In-Context

4 So the {Israelites} did so. They sent them away {outside the camp}; just as Yahweh spoke to Moses, so did the {Israelites}.
5 Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying,
6 "Speak to the {Israelites}: 'When a man or woman {commits} any of the sins of humankind by acting unfaithfully, [it is] a sin against Yahweh, and that person will be guilty;
7 they will confess their sin that they did and will make restitution [for] their guilt by adding a fifth {to it} and giving [it] {to whomever was wronged}.
8 But if the man does not have a redeemer to make restitution to him for the reparation, the reparation is to be given to Yahweh for the priest, in addition to the ram of atonement by which atonement is made for him.

Footnotes 2

  • [a]. Literally "sons/children of Israel"
  • [b]. Literally "does"
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